Liquid circulator



Oct. 26, 1943. Q'BQECKELER I 2,332,624

LIQUID CIRCULATOR Filed Nov. 27, 1941 r Rx m 0 E m5 0 mu m d B 1 W a Patented Oct. 26, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIQUID CIRCULATOR Benjamin Clark Boeckeler, Riverside, Conn., as-

signor to The Hydrojet Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application November 27, 1941, Serial No. 420,740

6 Claims.

This invention relates to liquid-circulating devices and it provides an apparatus for circulating liquids in a receptacle and for maintaining the level of liquid in the receptacle substantially constant.

The apparatus of this invention may be used with particular advantage in connection with the washing of photographic prints or cut films or the like, and is adapted to be'used in conjunction with the ordinary type of trays used in photographic Work. In the washing of prints or films it is common practice, at least among amateur photographers, to place the prints or films in a shallow tray and then pass a stream of Water more or less continuously over them. Of course the tray soon becomes full and suitable provision must be made to remove the surplus liquid. To accomplish this purpose it has been proposed to use an apparatus embodying the siphon principle. However, with such a device it is obvious that the outlet of the siphon must be lower than the level of the liquid in the tray if the device is to be operative. As a practical matter this frequently causes difiiculty in the use of such a device because it must be employed in close proximity to a drain or other waste liquid pipe which is situated at a level lower than the level of the liquid in the tray.

With the apparatus of this invention liquid may be supplied to the tray and maintained at a constant level therein without the necessity that the liquid discharge outlet of the apparatus be positioned at a level below the level of the liquid in the tray. In fact, this discharge outlet may be positioned above the level of the liquid in the tray, although if desired it may be at the same or a lower level than this. Consequently in using this device it is not necessary that the washing tray be positioned at a level above that of the waste disposal pipe into which the spent liquid is to be discharged.

In describing the apparatus of this invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus; and

Fig. 3 is a modification of the apparatus provided with an adjustable liquid level regulating device.

The apparatus is employed by securing it to the side wall of a photographic tray or other receptacle by means of a suitable fastening device such as the suction cup 10. Water is introduced into the apparatus through the conduit l I from which it flows into a distributing chamber I2. This chamber is provided with a circulating nozzle I3 through which liquid is discharged into the receptacle. The distributing chamber is also in communication with a jet pump l4 and liquid from this chamber flows through the nozzle l5 of the jet pump into the low pressure area I5 of the pump and then on through the throat portion ll of the pump. As the liquid is introduced into the receptacle through the orifice I 3 the level of liquid in the receptacle gradually rises until it reaches the spent water intake 20 of the jet pump. As the level of the liquid in. the receptacle becomes higher, the excess liquid is drawn into the jet pump through intake 20' and is discharged through the outlet conduit 22.. Thus in the operation of the device fresh liquid supplied to conduit II is in part discharged intothe receptacle through the circulating nozzle l3 and in part diverted through the jet pump 14- which withdraws excess liquid and maintains the.- liquid level in the receptacle substantially constant.

To secure proper balance between the amount of liquid flowing through the circulating nozzle and the jet nozzle it is desirable to have the cross-sectional area of the circulating nozzle less than about twice the cross-sectional area of the jet nozzle. Advantageously the cross-sectional areas of these two nozzles are approximately the same.

To vary the level of liquid maintained in the tray it is only necessary to change the relative position of the device with respect to the bottom of the tray. For this purpose a suction cup ID, as is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, is particularly advantageous since it makes possible the repositioning of the apparatus with relative case.

However, if desired, an adjustable level-regulating means may be provided in the form of a weir 25 as illustrated in Fig. 3. This weir is advantageously in the form of a collar which may be moved up and down on an annular support 26 to whatever level is desired. Liquid overflowing the weir lip will be drawn into the spent water intake of the jet pump, as previously described.

Although the device has been described in connection with the washing of photographic prints, it is, of course, suitable for other purposes as well, wherever it is desired to introduce a stream of liquid into a receptacle and to maintain the level of the liquid in the receptacle substantially constant.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for circulating liquids in a receptacle and for maintaining the level of liquid in said receptacle substantially constant, comprising an inlet conduit for fresh liquid communicating with a circulating nozzle adapted to introduce liquid into said receptacle, said inlet conduit also being in communication with the nozzle of a jet pump, a spent liquid intake communicating with said jet pump and adapted to supply spent liquid thereto, and a discharge conduit rising from said jet pump and having a discharge outlet for the spent liquid located above said spent liquid intake whereby the spent liquid is forced upwardly by the jet pump to said discharge outlet.

2. Apparatus for circulating liquids in a receptacle and for maintaining the level of liquid in said receptacle substantially constant, comprising an inlet conduit communicating with a distributing chamber, said distributing chamber being provided with a circulating nozzle adapted to introduce liquid into said receptacle, said distributing chamber also being in communication with the nozzle of a jet pump, a spent liquid intake communicating with said jet pump and adapted to supply spent liquid thereto, and a discharge conduit rising from said jet pump and having a discharge outlet for the spent liquid r located above said spent liquid intake whereby the spent liquid is forced upwardly by the jet pump to said discharge outlet.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the crosssectional area of the circulating nozzle is less than about twice as great as the cross-sectional area of the jet nozzle.

4. Apparatus for circulating liquids in a receptacle and for maintaining the level of liquid in said receptacle substantially constant, comprising an inlet conduit communicating with a distributing chamber, said distributing chamber being provided with a circulating nozzle adapted to introduce liquid into said receptacle, a jet pump disposed above said distributing chamber and having a nozzle in communication therewith whereby a portion of the liquid in said distributing chamber rises through said nozzle, a spent liquid intake adapted to supply spent liquid to the jet pump above said nozzle, and a discharge conduit rising from said jet pump and having a discharge outlet for the spent liquid located above said spent liquid intake.

5. Apparatus for circulating liquids in a receptacle and for maintaining the level of liquid in said receptacle substantially constant, comprising an inlet conduit adapted to extend downwardly toward the bottom of said receptacle, said inlet conduit being in communication with a distributing chamber located near its lower end, said distributing chamber being provided with a circulating nozzle adapted to introduce liquid into said receptacle, a jet pump disposed above said distributing chamber and having a nozzle in com munication therewith whereby a portion of the liquid in said distributing chamber rises through said nozzle, a spent liquid intake adapted to supply spent liquid to the Jet pump above said nozzle, and a discharge conduit rising from said jet pump through which the spent liquid is discharged, one or said conduits having a suction cup adapted to hold the apparatus against the side or the receptacle.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 having an adjustable weir adapted to regulate the level of liquid in said receptacle, said weir being positioned so that liquid overflowing its edge will be conducted to said spent liquid intake.

BENJAMIN CLARK BOECKELER. 

